This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a shielded electrical connector which has a pair of shielding backshell halves which may be hermaphroditic.
A typical electrical connector includes some form of dielectric housing or insert which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals. The terminals may be terminated to discrete electrical wires or conductors of a composite electrical cable. The terminals have contact portions generally at a front mating end or face of the connector for electrically engaging the terminals of a complementary mating connector at a mating interface.
In many electrical connector applications, such as in the telecommunication and/or data communication industries, an electrical connector typically includes some form of metal shroud or shield surrounding the electrical terminals or a least the contact portions of the terminals at the mating interface. The shroud or shield provides electromagnetic interference and/or radial frequency interference (EMI/RFI) protection for the connector. In some connectors, the metal shroud or shield is provided by a pair of outer shell members which are interconnected about the interior dielectric and terminals of the connector. The shell members have some form of means for holding the shells together about the connector. For instance, fasteners such as screws may be used, but such fasteners require inventory maintenance and the assembly of such fasteners is not cost and time effective. Some shell halves have thin interengaging hooks, which are susceptible to breakage, and if the backshell halves are of die cast material, expensive side action molds are required in addition to a single pull mold. The present invention is directed to solving these various problems by providing a new and improved interconnection system between a pair of shell halves in such a shielded electrical connector.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved backshell halves which provide easy assembly and robust retention.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector assembly includes an inner connector defining a front-to-rear mating axis and including a plurality of conductive terminals. An outer shell is provided about the inner connector and includes a pair of backshell halves. Each backshell half includes a latch bar extending radially of the mating axis and a latch arm extending axially of the mating axis. The latch bar and the latch arm are at opposite sides of the backshell half and are constructed to be complementarily engageable so that the axially extending latch arm of one backshell half is engaged with the radially extending latch bar of the other backshell half to latch the backshell halves together and form the outer shell about the inner connector.
In the preferred embodiment, the backshell halves are hermaphroditic. The backshell halves preferably are fabricated of die cast metal material, such as a zinc alloy.
According to one aspect of the invention, the connector assembly includes a front shell around a front mating end of the inner connector. The backshell halves include front portions embracing at least a portion of the front shell. As disclosed herein, the front portions of the backshell halves are enlarged to define cavity halves which combine to define an enlarged shell cavity for embracing the front shell.
According to another aspect of the invention, a pair of jack screws are journalled in the outer shell for securing the electrical connector assembly to a mating connecting device. Each backshell half includes a pair of journal portions at the opposite sides thereof, whereby the latched backshell halves combine to form a pair of journal structures for the pair of jack screws at opposite sides of the outer shell. The latch bar and the latch arm of the backshell halves are formed on the journal portions.
According to a further aspect of the invention, fastening means are provided rearwardly of the latch bars and the latch arms to hold the backshell halves about the inner connector. As disclosed herein, the fastening means comprise a pair of fasteners, such as bolts, at the opposite sides of the backshell halves.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.